12 Dec 2019

The blind and partially sighted will now be able to complete CEDA application forms on their own following the launch of the CEDA braille application and business plan forms.

CEDA chief executive officer Mr Thabo Thamane said during the launch recently, that the CEDA braille application and business plan forms would help to tackle issues of financial inclusion.

He said in their commitment to inclusiveness of the PWDs, CEDA transcribed its business plan forms and loan application forms to braille, a project that was done in conjunction with the Botswana Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted (BABPS).

“The project is aimed at gauging the update of the forms by the blind and partially sighted community countrywide. The agency will further review its guidelines and the review is expected to further address ease of access to funding by marginalised groups including PWDs,” he said.

Mr Thamane said the review of the guidelines would be completed by the end of March 2020. He said in an effort to improve financial inclusion of special groups, CEDA adopted a disability mainstreaming agenda in April 2016 which culminated in the agency adopting the four thematic areas as prescribed by the Government Disability Monitoring and Evaluation framework.

The four thematic areas are the improvement of physical facilities accessibility, promotion of economic empowerment of people with disabilities, improvement of public awareness and development of monitoring and evaluation systems.

Mr Thamane said the agency then developed an annual plan in line with the thematic areas with mainstreaming activities on people with disabilities (PWDs) and the areas covered included project funding, procurement from companies owned by PWDs, training, monitoring and outreaches.

“At the beginning of financial year 2016/17 CEDA partnered with Office of the President through the Director Coordinating Office of PWD for the Disability Entrepreneurship Training programme which was launched in Letlhakane on April 2016,” he said.

He said through the programme CEDA was able to reach 865 people with disabilities in a period of 6 months which was from April to September and those who were trained on basic entrepreneurship skills and how to access CEDA products and services.

Mr Thamane said the partnership with Office of the President resulted in a slight improvement of the number of PWDs approaching CEDA for funding, general enquiries and further interaction with PWDs indicated that a majority are engaged in micro-businesses.

He further said the agency then used its microfinance product, Mabogo-Dinku not only to fund but to provide training in Business Management and Financial Literacy.

“CEDA has to date financed 20 businesses led by PWDs to the value of P7.4 million creating employment for 74 people,” he said.

Mr Thamane said as part of CEDA Corporate Social Responsibility mandate, the agency heeded a call from the Botswana Deaf Sports Federation to assist with sponsorship for the team that represented Botswana in the Championships Games in Nairobi, Kenya from September 16 to 22, 2019.

He also said the need for equal participation in the economy of the country was important hence CEDA’s continuous efforts in working towards financial inclusion. ENDS